clock

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkläk 

plural clocks

often attributive

1

: a device other than a watch for indicating or measuring time commonly by means of hands moving on a dial

broadly : any periodic system by which time is measured

2

: a registering device usually with a dial

specifically : odometer

3

: time clock

4

: a synchronizing device (as in a computer) that produces pulses at regular intervals

5

: biological clock

see also a race against the clock

clock

2 of 3

verb

clocked; clocking; clocks

transitive verb

1

a

: to time with a stopwatch or by an electric timing device

b

: to be timed at

2

: to register on a mechanical recording device

wind velocities were clocked at 80 miles per hour

3

: to hit hard

4

chiefly British : attain, realize

—usually used with up

just clocked up a million … paperback sales

—Punch

5

a

: to travel (a distance) over time

clocks more than 15,000 miles a year on business

b

: put in sense 3

clocking long hours at the office

intransitive verb

1

: to have a specified duration or speed

—used with in

the movie clocked in at just under 3 hours

broadly : to have a specified measure or value

—used with in

the meal clocked in at about $15

2

: to register on a time sheet or time clock : punch

—used with in, out, on, off

he clocked in late

clocker noun

clock

3 of 3

noun (2)

: an ornamental figure on the ankle or side of a stocking or sock

Phrases

against the clock

1

: with or within a time constraint

working against the clock

2

: with clocked speed rather than the order of finish as the criterion for placement

trial races against the clock

around the clock or less commonly round the clock

1

: continuously for 24 hours : day and night without cessation

2

: without relaxation and heedless of time

kill the clock or run out the clock

: to use up as much as possible of the playing time remaining in a game (such as football) while retaining possession of the ball or puck especially to protect a lead

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• chronometer
• timekeeper
• timepiece
• timer

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Example Sentences

Verb

He clocked 3 hours and 15 minutes in his last marathon.

His fastest pitch was clocked at 91 miles per hour.

The cop said she clocked me going 95 miles per hour.

I was so angry I wanted to clock him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s no game clock in that final period, but after every five minutes of play, one player will be lopped off each team’s on-field roster until that winning goal is scored. Dempsey, said Friel, was instrumental in shaping the tournament’s unique rules and format, including the substitution rule. —Michael Silverman, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023

Early on, those were pitch clock related before pitchers adapted. —The Arizona Republic, 30 May 2023

As many as nine security guards, some armed, clock in daily — all of whom are trained to administer naloxone, an emergency medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. —Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2023

The non-fussy Island Inn — where laidback living on the sands of Sanibel follows no clock — might be just your speed. —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023

Nvidia compensates by setting GPU and memory clock speeds much higher, and with changes to the Ada Lovelace architecture, namely a much larger chunk of L2 cache, that means fewer trips out to main memory over that relatively slow 128-bit bus. —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 23 May 2023

Somewhere at venerable Colonial Country Club there should be a giant digital clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds. —Mark Kazlowski, Dallas News, 12 May 2023

Leading 14-2 at halftime on Monday, the second half was played with a running clock. —Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2023

Similarities range from a minimalistic dial layout to its Cyclops magnification lens above the date window at three o’ clock. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 4 May 2023

Verb

Camacho’s first-inning triple came off UCLA commit Justin Lee, whose fastball was clocked at 93 mph. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2023

What shoes are the best for clocking 20,000 steps a day? —Anonymous, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 May 2023

Dodgers Clayton Kershaw disagreed with Sisters’ award, sought return of Dodgers’ Christian day May 29, 2023 Four of Miller’s 12 first-inning pitches were clocked at 100 mph. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023

The plan requires continuing to shrink transistors, moving power and possibly clock signals beneath a CPU’s silicon, and ever-tighter 3D-chip integration. —IEEE Spectrum, 24 May 2023

Junior Joshua Wagner repeated as the 110-meter hurdles champion with a time of 14.58 and fellow junior Kevin Angarita earned GNAC Male Performance of the Meet honors after clocking in at 47.59 in the 400. —Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2023

Madison Academy picked up 10 points by winning the 4x400 with juniors Caleb Williams and Jackson Reece and sophomores Joshua Williams and J.R. Howard clocking 3:32.01 to win the relay and the state crown. —al, 7 May 2023

Don't assume this doesn't relate to you: More and more millennials are clocking in with high blood pressure. —Melissa Matthews, Men's Health, 28 Apr. 2023

Last two men’s champions dueling — 11:26 a.m. Evans Chebet, 2022 Marathon winner, and 2021 winner Benson Kipruto are neck-and-neck with Gabriel Geay and John Korir, clocking in at 1:44:19 after 35 kilometers (21.75 miles). —Katie Mcinerney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English clok, from Middle Dutch clocke bell, clock, from Old French or Medieval Latin; Old French dialect (Picard) cloque bell, from Medieval Latin clocca, of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish clocc bell

Noun (2)

perhaps from clock entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1530, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing clock

• alarm clock
• a race against the clock
• around the clock
• body clock
• banjo clock
• biological clock
• atomic clock
• clean one's clock
• clock radio
• clock up
• clock-watcher
• beat the clock
• cuckoo clock
• eat up/run out/kill the clock
• kill the clock
• internal clock
• grandfather clock
• round the clock
• run out the clock
• shot clock
• time clock
• the clock
• turn back the clock
• watch the clock
• water clock
• longcase clock
• clock off/out
• against the clock

See More

• alarm clock
• a race against the clock
• around the clock
• body clock
• banjo clock
• biological clock
• atomic clock
• clean one's clock
• clock radio
• clock up
• clock-watcher
• beat the clock
• cuckoo clock
• eat up/run out/kill the clock
• kill the clock
• internal clock
• grandfather clock
• round the clock
• run out the clock
• shot clock
• time clock
• the clock
• turn back the clock
• watch the clock
• water clock
• longcase clock
• clock off/out
• against the clock

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Kids Definition

clock

1 of 2 noun

ˈkläk 

1

: a device for measuring or telling the time and especially one not meant to be worn or carried about by a person

2

: a registering device with a dial that is attached to a machine to measure or record what it is doing

3

: a device (as in a computer) that sends out signals at regular spaces of time so that other events can happen in the correct order

clock

2 of 2 verb

1

: to time (as a person or a piece of work) by a timing device

2

: to show (as time or speed) on a recording device

he clocked in late

Etymology

Noun

Middle English clok "clock," from early Dutch clocke "bell, clock," from early French cloque "bell" or Latin clocca "bell"; of Celtic origin — related to cloak

Medical Definition

clock

noun

ˈkläk 

: biological clock